In general, a semiconductor device such as an integrated chip (IC) has been tested with regard to its defects by inspecting the electric characteristic of the semiconductor device during a manufacturing process. The electric characteristic of the semiconductor device is inspected through a probe pin interposed between the inspection contact point (bump) of the semiconductor device and a contact point (pad) of a test board including a printed circuit board (PCB). Also, the electric characteristic of the semiconductor device is inspected while the semiconductor device is being inserted in an inspective object carrier.
FIG. 17 is a view showing a structure of a conventional inspection device for a semiconductor device. An inspection apparatus 1 for the semiconductor device includes an inspective object carrier 30 on which a semiconductor device 10 is seated, a pusher 20 placed above the inspective object carrier 30 and pushing the seated semiconductor device 10 downward for the test, a socket guide 40 placed below the inspective object carrier 30, and a socket assembly 60 having a probe pin 50 to contact the inspection contact point of the seated semiconductor device.
Conventional inspection for the semiconductor device 10 has been performed by electric contact between a ball terminal 10a of the semiconductor device 10 mounted to the inspective object carrier 30 and the probe pin 50 supported in the socket assembly 60. At this time, a very small ball terminal 10a and the probe pin 50 are arranged at a narrow pitch, and therefore alignment of very high precision is required during the test. The alignment between the ball terminal 10a and the probe pin 50 is achieved by alignment between aligning holes 32 of the inspective object carrier 30 and aligning pins 42 of the socket guide 40.
The inspective object carrier 30 alternates between coupling with and separating from the socket guide 40 during the test, and therefore a margin between the aligning pin 42 and the aligning hole increases by repetitive coupling and separating. In result, the increase in such a margin causes a problem of mismatching between the ball terminal 10a and the probe pin 50. Also, a tolerance may be additionally caused when the socket assembly 60 is mounted to the socket guide 40.